Means for treating filamentary materials with liquid



Oct. 3, 1950 s. ROBERTS 2,524,177

MEANS FOR TREATING FILAMENTARY MATERIALS WITH LIQUID Filed April 3, 1945 INV r012. F j I I 7 BY E; m M (4 46% M Patented Oct. 3, 1950 MEANS FOR TREATING FILAMENTARY MATERIALS WITH LIQUID Ingham S. Roberts, Ridley Park, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation'of Delaware t Application April 3, 1945, Serial No. 586,315

6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for applying and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length.

Considerable difficulty is experienced in controlling the amount of residual liquid carried by filamentary material after impregnation with liquids, which may take place during the course of manufacture of the filaments or prior to fabrication of yarns, threads, or similar strands. Care must be taken to insure that the filamentary material does not carry excess liquid from one liquid treating stage to another or from an impregnating stage to a drying device or a wind-up device, that the residual liquid remaining on the material is uniformly distributed along each succeeding portion of the filaments and, in the case of filamentary bundles, that the liquid is distributed evenly over each of the filaments making up the bundle.

One method commonly resorted to for removing excess liquid from filamentary material involves passing the liquid-laden yarns or the like between one ,or more pairs of pressure rolls to squeeze out the excess liquid. Such methods of controlling the residual liquid on the filaments have serious limitations. The filamentary material is most susceptible to damage in the wet condition and may suffer a loss in tensile strength and other ill effects when subjected between rolls to suflicient pressure to remove the excess liquid clinging to it. Further, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to insure that the amount of treating liquid remaining on each succeeding portion of the material discharged from the pressure rolls is uniform, largely due to the fact that liquid squeezed out of one portion of the material tends to seep, generally in irregular fashion, around the material in the adjacent open spaces between the rolls, and to be irregularly absorbed by the portion of material being discharged from the rolls. Also, due to the strain and pressure exerted on the yarns by the pressure rolls, the filaments tend to lose their naturalshape and are flattened out and acquire sharp edges.

The present invention provides, means for applying any number of treating liquids in succes-- sion to a running length of yarn or the like, and removing the excess liquid from the yarns, after application of each liquid and prior to application of another liquid, or prior to drying the yarns or collecting them on a wind-up device, as the case may be.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises, in combination, a liquid applying means, a centrifugal throw-off device arranged in the path of the system, or to a storage receptacle for re-use in treating further lengths of material.

The construction of the centrifugal throw-ofi device is such that the excess liquid carried from the liquid treating stage is transferred from the travelling material to the surface of the throwoff and continuously withdrawn from the plane of the yarn by centrifugal force. More specifically, the centrifugal throw-off device comprises a centrifugal extractor wheel which may have one or two frusto-conical flanges. Thus, the wheel may comprise a thread-:bearing periphery and a single flange the circumferential wall of which slopes sharply outwardly from the thread-bearing portion thereof, or it may comprise two opposed flanges the circumferential walls of which slope sharply outwardly from opposite sides of the thread bearing periphery. The wheel provides a contact surface for the filamentary material advancing from the liquid treating stage, in the vicinity of the reduced end of the flange wall. The filamentary material travelling over the contact surface tends to spread out, and the excess liquid thus transferred to the surface of the wheel is withdrawn over the sloped circumferential wall of the flange to its periphery, from which it is fiung off as the wheel rotates. The wheel may be constructed of any material or composition which exerts a strong surface attraction for liquid and which is not corroded or otherwise damaged by the liquid,'such as hard rubber or other suitable readily wettable material.

The accompanying drawing is illustrative of the invention. In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section elevation view take on line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of a modification of the apparatus of Figures 1 and '2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of still another modification of the invention.

Asshown in Figures 1 and 2, filamentary material 21, which maybe advancing from a double godet arrangement 28, for example, is passed under anv immersion roll 2 which is rotatably secured to one end of a curved arm3 by a pin 4. The other end of arm 3 is secured in a bushing 5 supp ted on a, movable cross-bar 6 extending across shell I, which shell is formed integrally with tank 8 and constitutes the lower half of a guard for the centrifugal throw-off wheel indicated generally at 9. One end of cross-bar extends through shell I to the exterior thereof and carries a counterweight l0. Roll- 2 may be swung out of tank 8 containing treating liquid H, for convenience in lacing up, as shown at A in Figure 1, and then swung back into operating position in the tank, as shown at B in Figure 1, by manual manipulation of counterweight l0. In the lacing up position, counterweight ill rests against a stop ila on the exterior of shell 1, which limits the upward movement of the counterweight, while in theoperative position the counterweight rests against a ledge on the exterior of tank 8. Tank 8 is supplied with treating liquid through a supply header l2, and an overflow i3 is provided for controlling the level of the treating liquid in the tank. Roll 2 is maintained in submerged condition below the level of the liquid bath when the apparatus is in use.

As it passes under roll 2, in'tank 8, the filamentary material picks up the treating liquid.

Directly after leaving the tank, the liquid-laden material passes over the centrifugal throw-oil? 9, which is of the double flange type and comprises a thread bearing periphery ll provided with reduced extensions l5 and it which are loosely held in the opposing inner faces of shell I so that the wheel is free to rotate with the filamentary material travelling thereover. The wheel comprises two opposed flanges I! and It the circumferential walls I! and 20 of which slope sharply outwardly in opposite directions from the center of thread bearing periphery ll to leave a gap 2| therebetween through whichthe liquid-laden filamentary material passes. Shell 1 has an annular upstanding rim 22 having a groove 23 which seats a removable hood 24 of semi-circular shape. Hood 24 constitutes the upper half of the guard for the centrifugal throw-oil. The inner face of the cap is provided with liquid collecting grooves 25 which correspond with similar grooves 28 in shell 1. Excess liquid transferred to the surface of the wheel, as the filamentary material advances thereover, and which is withdrawn from the plane of the material along the sloped walls of the flanges and flung off the peripheries of the flanges as the wheel rotates with the travelling material, collects in grooves 25 and 26 and is excess treating liquid has been removed, passes through a slot 29 in shell 1 and is directed to a drying device, a wind-up device, or to a further liquid treating stage.

The principle of operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 3 is similar to that of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, but there the filamentary material 21, after passing under roll 28 in receptacle 28a is advanced over a centrifugal throw-ofi wheel 30 which isof the single flange type. The wheel is rotatably supported on a shaft 3| which extends into a casing or guard 32 provided with a liquid collecting groove 33. The wheel comprises a thread bearing periphery 34 and a flange 34a the circumferential wall 35 'of which slopes sharply outwardly from the thread-bearing periphery. The excess liquid transferred to the contact surface of the wheel, as the filamentary material passes thereover directly after leaving the liquid bath is continui 4 wall of the flange to its is thrown-off into the housing and returned to tank 28a. In a preferred arrangement, the roll 28 is placed relative to wheel 30 so that the material, after leaving the roll, approaches the wheel in a direction which makes an angle of somewhat less than-90 with the axis of the wheel so that a component of the tension in the material is utilized to hold the shaft 3| of the wheel in its bearing 43 and so that the material is caused to contact the wall 35 before reaching the thread bearing periphery 34, thus inducing a wiping action between the wall and the material and rial, from which excess liquid is removed during its passage over the contact surface of the throw oif, is then passed under roll 38 submerged in a liquid bath 39 in tank 40. The liquid-laden material, directly after leaving bath 39 is passed over the contact surface of still another centrifugal throw-off wheel 4| and, after being discharged from the wheel is guided, by means of guide roll 42 to a drying device, a wind-up device, or another liquid treating device.

Any number of liquid applying rolls and centrifugal throw-off wheels may be employed, or the liquid may be applied by means other than a liquid applying roll submerged in a liquid bath, as by spraying, etc., and the excess liquid may be removed uniformly from all portions along the length of the filaments by passing it over a centrifugal throw-off wheel in accordance with the invention, after it leaves the liquid treating stage.

The invention is useful in the manufacture of artificial filamentary material by the viscose process. Thus, a desulfurizing liquid, a bleaching solution, a solution for neutralizing the residual bleach solution in the filamentary material, and finally a washing liquid may be applied to the filaments in sequence, the excess liquid being removed after each liquid treatment. Additional liquid treating stages may be used, if desired, such as additional washing stages intermediate the liquid treatments mentioned above. Also, as will be obvious, a combination comprising more or less liquid applying rolls or liquid treating stages arranged alternately with centrifugal throw-oil devices may be used for processing filamentary material during spinning thereof from other fiber forming materials such as cuprammonium solutions, protein solutions, resin solutions and the like.

0 The apparatus of the invention may also be pare the filamentary material for subsequent textile fabricating operations, such as weaving, knitting and the like.

The apparatus of the invention is particularly useful in those cases where artificial filaments are washed with water and thereafter treated with so-called soft finishes and thereafter dried.

ousl withdrawn along the outwardly sloping 1| For this purpose, one centrifu l r ff wheel periphery from which it is used to remove the excess surface moisture remaining on the material after the washin operation and thus to avoid undue dilution of the soft-finish solution when the latter is applied subsequently. After leaving the :soft-flnish applying stage, the filamentary material is passed over a second throw-oil wheel, to remove excess soft-finish solution and reduce the amount remaining on the yarn or other strand to a minimum which is constant for all portions thereof, thus reducing the moisture to be evaporated by the drying means and resulting in a more uniformly dried thread.

Filaments from which excess liquid is removed in accordance with this invention, are dried evenly and uniformly at all portions of their length even when drying is effected by passing the filaments over a heating element or through a drying zone at the extremely high rates of speeds common in commercial scale operations.

The treating liquid may be returned to the tank containing the liquid bath as illustrated specifically herein thus avoiding waste of the liquid and sloppy plant conditions or it may be sent to another liquid receptacle and then recirculated for use in treating further lengths of filamentary material and it may be refreshed or fortified prior to such recirculation in conventional manner.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I cldim:

1. Means for applying and removing liquid sharply outwardly from the thread contact surface at an angle to the surface such that excess liquid transferred to the thread contact surface by the filamentary material is continuously withdrawn along the flange away from the thread contact surface and to the outer periphery of the fiange, said member being arranged in the path of the material leaving the liquid applying roll, when the latter is in the bath, to provide a contact surface over which the material advances directly after leaving the bath.

Means for applying and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length comprising, in combination, a liquid applying rotatable roll swingable into and out of a liquid bath, and a rotatable member comprising a thread contact surface over which the filamentary material advances and two flanges the circumferential walls of which slope sharply outwardly from the thread contact surface, said member being arranged in the path of the material leaving the roll, when the latter is in the bath, to provide a contact surface over which the material advances directly after leaving the bath.

3. Means for applying and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length comprising, in combination, a liquid applying means. a rotatable member comprising a thread bearing periphery over which the filamentary material advances and at least one flange the circumferential wall of which slopes sharply outwardly from the thread bear-g ing periphery and at an angle to the periphery such that excess liquid transferred to the thread bearing periphery by the filamentary material is continuously withdrawn along the flange away from the thread bearin periphery and to the outer periphery of the flange, and a guard surrounding the periphery of the flange for intercepting liquid thrown off the flange and directing it to a liquid collecting device, said rotatable member being disposed the path of the material to provide a con t surface over which the material advances ectly after leaving the liquid applying means.

'4. Means for appl n and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length comprising, in combination, a receptacle containing a liquid bath, means for immersing the travelling material in the bath,

a rotatable member comprising a thread bearing periphery over which the filamentary material advances and at least one flange the circumferential wail of which slopes sharply outwardly from the thread bearing periphery at an angle to'said periphery such that excess liquid transferred to the thread bearing periphery by the filamentary material is continuously withdrawn along the flange away from the thread bearing periphery and to the outer periphery of the flange, said rotatable member being supported 0n the receptacle above the bath to provide a contact surface over which the material advances directly after leaving the bath, and a guard surrounding the periphery of the flange for intercepting liquid thrown off the fiange and directing it back to the liquid receptacle.

5. Means for applying and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length comprising, in combination, a receptacle containing a liquid bath, a liquid applying rotatable roll supported on the receptacle and swingable into submerged condi tion in the bath to immerse the travelling material therein, a rotatable member comprising a thread bearing periphery and at least one flange the circumferential wall of which slopes sharply outwardly from the thread bearing periphery at an angle to said periphery such that excess liquid transferred to the thread bearing periphery by the filamentary material is continuously withdrawn along the flange away from the thread bearing periphery and to the outer periphery of the flange, said rotatable member being arranged in the path of the material to provide a contact surface over which the material advances directly after leaving the bath, and a guard surrounding the periphery of the flange for intercepting liquid fiung off the flange and returning it to the liquid receptacle.

6. Means for applying and removing liquid from continuously travelling filamentary material of indefinite length comprising, in combination, a receptacle containing a liquid bath, a rotatable roll supported on the receptacle and swingable into submerged condition in the bath to immerse the travelling material therein, a rotatable member comprising a thread bearing periphery over which the filamentary material advances and two flanges the circumferential walls of which slope sharply outwardly from opposite sides of the thread bearing periphery each flange forming an angle with the said periphery the outer periphery of the flange, said rotatable 5 member being arranged in the path of the material to provide a contact surface over which the material advances directly after leaving the bath and a guard surrounding the peripheries of the flanges for intercepting liquid flung oil! the flanges 10 2,343, 9

and returning it to the liquid receptacle.

INGRAM S. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES 0mm The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

'Um'nn STATES mum's Number Name. Date 1,675,234 Thomayer -'Mar. 2, 1928 2,002,996 Hoeflnghofl May 28, 1935 2,189,195 Burkholder Feb. 8, 1940 Moritz Apr. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 530,889 Germany Aug. 1, 1931 

1. MEANS FOR APPLYING AND REMOVING LIQUID FROM CONTINUOUSLY TRAVELLING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL OF INDEFINITE LENGTH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LIQUID APPLYING ROTATABLE ROLL SWINGABLE INTO AND OUT OF A LIQUID BATH, AND A LIQUID REMOVING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE MEMBER COMPRISING A THREAD CONTACT SURFACE OVER WHICH THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL ADVANCES AND AT LEAST ONE FLANGE THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF WHICH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL AND SLOPES SHARPLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE THREAD CONTACT SURFACE AT AN ANGLE TO THE SURFACE SUCH THAT EXCESS LIQUID TRANSFERRED TO THE THREAD CONTACT SURFACE BY THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL IS CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWN ALONG THE FLANGE AWAY FROM THE THREAD CONTACT SURFACE AND TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE FLANGE, SAID MEMBER BEING ARRANGED IN THE PATH OF THE MATERIAL LEAVING THE LIQUID APPLYING ROLL, WHEN THE LATTER IS IN THE BATH, TO PROVIDE A CONTACT SURFACE OVER WHICH THE MATERIAL ADVANCES DIRECTLY AFTER LEAVING THE BATH. 